Top Games for Programmers: Combine two passions into one!

While programming in itself can be a taxing activity, depending on your timeline, due dates, bug list, feature set, and roadblocks, the basic lifeline is always apparent: solving logic problems, creating methods and tasks that complete things on a lower level, and compartmentalizing in order to utilize objects.

For those that may have gotten a little lost in that last paragraph: programming in a game format isolates the best about why coding is fun!

Here are some great programming oriented games that I have found over the years, which can be played by programmers and non-programmers alike.

Manufactoria

The pitch:

Manufactoria is a puzzle game about putting robots in their proper place. Use conveyor-belts, ‘pullers’ and ‘pushers’ to build a machine that will work no matter what gets thrown at it!

In Manufactoria, you are the engineer, tasked with building the correct machine that matches the needs of each puzzle. Try it out if you love puzzling connection type games.

The Codex of Alchemical Engineering

The pitch:

The Codex of Alchemical Engineering is a puzzle game about programming “manipulators” to move, transmute, and bind alchemical “atoms” into complex compounds.

Similar to Manufactoria but featuring a more fluid amount of control and decision making, The Codex of Alchemical Engineering is certainly a fun way to spend your time – if you’re into that kind of thing.

Game Dev Story

Work hard and you may reach the top of the video game industry!

The pitch:

Manage your own game company and try to create a million-selling game in this unique simulation. Features the ability to develop your company’s own game console, plus a system for changing your staff members’ professions. Your staff members can have a variety of game-related professions, from programmer to sound engineer. Work hard and you may reach the top of the video game industry!

What could be more fun than playing a game where your job is to make games? That is truly the most meta you can get in a game (I think?).

Good list. Games and programming are indeed a great combination! Found your article while doing some research related to our game, Code of Tanks, which we hope continues the tradition and gives programming enthusiasts another way to have fun doing what they love. It’s in Beta and everyone’s invited to try it out: https://codeoftanks.com/